The England thread

[TCO]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/article-3049357/Abolish-crazy-rules-allow-Jack-Grealish-play-Republic-Ireland.html

Oh no, we might lose a decent player who we didn't give a shit about until Sunday, abolish the "crazy rules" that we've exploited umpteen times across multiple sports because we're the ones potentially losing out now.

[Roster Depth Sicko No. 2]

Grealish will play a lot more internationals for Ireland, it's in his own best interests to carry on playing for them.

I can't really blame him for making the swap to be honest, there are probably a lot more people ahead of him in the England queue than there are in the Ireland one.

[TCO]

It's the hypocrisy of it that annoys me. 3/4 of Grealish's grandparents are Irish and he played Gaelic Football growing up yet he shouldn't be allowed play for Ireland. It's OK for noted Englishmen Mo Farah and Raheem Sterling to represent their adopted nations.

I'd be more pissed off with losing out on Yannick Bolaise to be honest than bitching about potentially losing Grealish.

We'll take Bamford back too please.

[Baddar]

I don't really think any can of worms has been opened. If at some point during the Euro 2016 qualifiers a ref makes a similar error, that country will complain and demand a rematch, to which Uefa's response will just be 'lol, no'.

Edit: Just noticed I'm a few weeks behind. Point stands.

[brenchill]

Grealish will play a lot more internationals for Ireland, it's in his own best interests to carry on playing for them.

There's no real way of knowing this. He has a tonne of potential, he could potentially go on to become a World Class player. With that said, he could also go on to become utterly useless. He has been a known quantity for quite some time now, so there must be something there.

If he wants to play for Ireland though, that's his choice, I guess. I think it's an odd one given he grew up in Birmingham, but I've got a few friends who are from Irish families who feel equally as passionate about Ireland as they are England.

[Roster Depth Sicko No. 2]

I agree that it's no guarantee, but who would you rather compete with for an international place: Robbie Brady, James McClean, and an aging Aiden McGeady; or Andros Townsend, Raheem Sterling, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain?

[brenchill]

Right now? Obviously the Irish lot. If you're looking at it in the long run, it's impossible to answer because I have no idea how good he'll turn out.

He's played for the Irish U17's, U18's and U21's anyway. Bit unfair of England to just pinch him because he looks half decent now at 19.

[Lineker]

Saido Berahino and Harry Kane are both included in Gareth Southgate's provisional England squad for this summer European Under-21 Championship.

The West Brom forward and Tottenham striker are among a long list of 27 players named for the finals in the Czech Republic in June.

Manchester United full-back Luke Shaw is left out at the request of club manager Louis van Gaal but there is a first call-up for Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

Southgate will exclude four players before confirming his final squad.

Goalkeepers: Marcus Bettinelli (Fulham), Jonathan Bond (Watford), Jack Butland (Stoke City)

Defenders: Calum Chambers (Arsenal), Eric Dier (Tottenham), Luke Garbutt (Everton), Ben Gibson (Middlesbrough), Carl Jenkinson (Arsenal, loan to West Ham), Michael Keane (Burnley), Liam Moore (Leicester City), John Stones (Everton), Matt Targett (Southampton)

Midfielders: Tom Carroll (Tottenham, loan to Swansea), Nathaniel Chalobah (Chelsea), Will Hughes (Derby County), Jake Forster-Caskey (Brighton & Hove Albion), Jesse Lingard (Manchester United), Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Chelsea), Alex Pritchard (Tottenham), Nathan Redmond (Norwich City), James Ward-Prowse (Southampton)

Forwards: Benik Afobe (Wolves), Patrick Bamford (Chelsea, loan to Middlesbrough), Saido Berahino (West Brom), Harry Kane (Tottenham), Danny Ings (Burnley), Cauley Woodrow (Fulham)

Match rights are held by BT Sport this time around.

[Thrilla]

Solid squad. Glad to see Kane drop back down.

[Whisper]

My first thougt when I saw the squad was, "No James Wilson?!".

Turns out my memory of James Wilson, under 21 international, is entirely FM based. He's never played for the U21s...

Decent squad though. Pleased Shaw hasn't gone. He needs to spend the summer working with our fitness guys after all of the injuries he's had this year.

[Jimmy]

Glad Kane's gone, but he's already started to look a little tired out over the last few weeks, definitely won't be fresh for the start of the season. Nice to see 4 Spurs players in though, looks like a very very decent squad.

[Baddar]

On paper at least, that strike force is very strong.

[MDK]

I can't believe Moses Odubajo has never had a look in. Not for the major cup but at least in a friendly

[Matt]

Ditto Byram. If he was Chelsea's 7th choice right back/winger he'd be a shoe in to play every game.

Edited May 20, 2015 by Gary MattAllister

[Lineker]

Charlie Austin, Jamie Vardy and Tom Heaton are the three new names in Roy Hodgson's latest England squad.

The Three Lions boss has selected a 24-man squad for two games next month – a friendly against Republic of Ireland in Dublin on 7 June and a Euro 2016 Qualifier against Slovenia in Ljubljana on 14 June.

Burnley stopper Heaton, and strikers Austin from Queens Park Rangers and Leicester City's Vardy earn their first call-ups at senior level.

Heaton, 29, has previous international experience for England having featured throughout the youth ranks from Under-16s to Under-21s.

Former Burnley and Swindon hitman Austin, 25, has been called up after scoring 17 goals for the Hoops this season, as will 28-year-old Vardy, who helped the Foxes escape relegation this season.

The trio come into a squad that has won seven and drawn one of their eight internationals this season.

The match in Dublin is the return fixture after the 1-1 draw at Wembley that formed part of The FA’s 150th anniversary celebrations in 2013.

It will be the 16th meeting of the two teams and England’s five other visits to Dublin have produced two England wins, in 1946 and 1964.

Hodgson's men beat Slovenia 3-1 in a Euro Qualifier before a 82,000 crowd at Wembley last November. The June clash in Ljubljana, with England aiming to keep their 100% record in qualification, is only the fourth meeting of the teams.

Slovenia currently lie second in Qualifying Group E, six points behind England, having won three and lost two of their five matches. They have won both of their home fixtures without conceding.

Goalkeepers: Robert Green (Queens Park Rangers), Joe Hart (Manchester City), Tom Heaton (Burnley)

Defenders: Ryan Bertrand (Southampton), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Nathaniel Clyne (Southampton), Kieran Gibbs (Arsenal), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Phil Jones (Manchester United), Chris Smalling (Manchester United)

Midfielders: Ross Barkley (Everton), Fabian Delph (Aston Villa), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Adam Lallana (Liverpool), Ryan Mason (Tottenham Hotspur), James Milner (Manchester City), Raheem Sterling (Liverpool), Andros Townsend (Tottenham Hotspur), Theo Walcott (Arsenal), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal)

Forwards: Charlie Austin (Queens Park Rangers), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Jamie Vardy (Leicester City), Danny Welbeck (Arsenal)

Following England's two games in June, they then return to action in September with an away game in San Marino followed by their first home game of the new season against Switzerland.

[Whisper]

Jamie Vardy, lol.

[Thrilla]

He's having a party

[Jimmy]

Can't believe I'm saying this, but Danny Rose really deserved a call-up.

[DavidMarrio]

I never thought I'd say it but where the fuck is Ashley Young in that squad? Especially with Townsend getting called up ahead of him.

[Thrilla]

Mason retaining his spot is a head scratcher.

For some reason (FM maybe), I always thought Heaton was Irish.